An illegally operated old people’s home was shut down this morning in Portimão following an anonymous tip-off.
The closure led to 22 elderly people being led away from the property, many of them will be taken care of by Social Services and referred to alternative housing.
Families have been made aware of the closure and will be encouraged to take in their aging relatives but the big problem is, nobody knows where the owner is or who was responsible for running this illegal home.
According to SIC Notícias, there is already a pending case against the illicit business. The home first was reported over a year ago but nothing was done and the elderly residents were still being housed.
The property is a three-storey house and has no proper facilities to look after elderly residents, nor has it a licence to do so.
When the Social Services team arrived, only three employees, one of whom was the cook, were on site.
The owner of the residence is said to be 'out of the country,' so it has not yet been possible for Social Services to find out who is responsible for the operation of the institution and who can be prosecuted.
If someone denounces an illegally operated old people’s home, anonymously or not, the Department of Social Security has to intervene and find alternative accommodation for the elderly residents.
